Apple acquires personal assistant app Cue

Apple has reportedly acquired Cue, a personal assistant app that had announced on Wednesday that it was shutting down. According to reports, the deal runs anywhere between $35 million and $60 million.

The startup that reportedly obtained funding from both Sequoia Capital and Index Ventures.

Backed by SV Angel, Sequoia Capital, Lerer Ventures and Index Ventures in addition to some notable angels, Cue, a Y Combinator venture capital alumnus was born as Greplin, a social search startup.

Cue ties all information from the user’s online accounts together, and surfaces useful information at the right time – similar to Google Now. The Cue app in its search parameters includes the users’ email, contacts and calendars, Facebook posts, Dropbox files and LinkedIn accounts, among others, and then offers intelligent suggestions on contacting people, as well as provide itinerary and travel related information based on the user’s daily schedule and appointments.

According to our sources, Dropbox had at some point been in the acquisition queue for Cue.

Cue announced to its users on Tuesday that the service is shutting down and is no longer available. Cue Premium users who bought a paid subscription, either through official iOS app or the company’s website, will receive a prorated refund.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause you,” the company said. “It’s been an incredible journey that wouldn’t have been possible without your loyal support.”

It’s possible that Apple will use the company’s technology to enhance its voice-driven personal assistant, Siri, which currently isn’t very popular.

Apple did not confirm the purchase, though they released an official statement that, “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”